Orion Pax gets a new body!
by crazomatic
Summary: Sometimes we forget Optimus was a youth too. But if you thought Hot Rod was incorrigible, just try convincing Orion to be the new leader of the Autobots!


This is my silly rendition of what happened during the G1 episode "War Dawn" that nobody ever got to see.

Alpha Trion is fixing Orion Pax in his workshop.

"Well, it looks like you're almost through! And my, my, I think I out did myself," Alpha Trion said confidently.

Orion Pax sat up with a look of anticipation. "Really? What did you do to me, Alpha?"

"Oh, not much, I just re-built your body, gave you a new name, and basically just changed your entire destiny in general."

Orion Pax glanced down and said innocently, "Oh . . . Is that all?"

Ultra Magnus then stumbles into Alpha's workshop from outside.

"Oh man, I got SOOOO drunk last night. Hey Alpha!"

Alpha Trion crossed his arms. "Hello Magnus! Out late again, I see?"

Ultra Magnus beamed with pride. "Yeah, it was a great party, but Orion wasn't there, and you know him and a good party! Heh heh."

Alpha Trion gave Ultra Magnus an inquisitive look. "Orion? _Really_?"

"Oh yeah," Ultra Magnus sputtered with gusto. "He's a total animal! Like that one time when he tried to drink Omega Supreme under the table, heh heh, but he still can't beat me. Why, he got so wasted that night he couldn't transform for three days without throwing up."

Ultra Magnus noticed Alpha's optics grow wide, which made him instantly think to himself, 'Maybe I shouldn't be telling him this!'

Ultra Magnus quickly switched topics. "Speaking of Orion, ya seen him around?"

Alpha Trion took a slight side glance. "Yes. He's here. I'm almost through with him. Why don't you take a seat while I finish him up?"

Ultra Magnus parked his aft on a heap of junk. "Okay!" He couldn't help but think to himself, 'Gee, he must have gotten seriously slagged this time to have made a trip up to Alpha's workshop! Heh heh'.

Thirty minutes later, Orion Pax a.k.a Optimus Prime walked out of the room.

"Hey Mags. What's going on?"

Completely confused, Ultra Magnus thought there must be some kind of mistake. "Nothing much. Do I know you?"

Optimus placed his hands on his hip plates. "Don't you recognize me? It's me Orion!"

Ultra Magnus jumped up and almost fell over. "WHAT?"

Optimus did a twirl. "Yeah! Alpha fixed me up. What da ya think?"

Suddenly feeling nauseous, Ultra Magnus thought he might have to sit down again. "Oh slag, oh slag."

Noticing Ultra Magnus' strange reaction, Optimus became suspicious. "Why? What do I look like?"

Try as he might, it was no use, Ultra Magnus puked. Once he recovered, he stood upright and said, "Sorry, it's just that I'm still getting over that party from last night. Nah, you look good, really good, only . . ."

Optimus leaned in, "Only what?"

"Nothin'." Ultra Magnus felt a desperate urge to change the subject. "Say, we missed you at the party last night."

The tactic worked. Optimus replied, "And I was pissed about that too! Why, as I was lying drenched in my own energon fluids dying I said to myself, Orion! You should've just ditched work and went to that party instead!"

Ultra Magnus shrugged, "What happened?"

"Oh, ya know, the usual." Optimus looked up and the ceiling apparently lost in thought. "Some Bot named Megatron showed up; blew us all up and I winded up here because of some friendly flying airplane robots. I thought for sure I was dreaming it all cuz Ariel kept yelling, 'You dork Orion! This is all your fault! I told you I wanted to go to that party!'

Crossing his arms, Ultra Magnus stated the obvious. "She's always so emotional."

Optimus snorted. "Yeah! Tell me about it! I'm so glad that's all over. Now we can plan out our next party and with this new body, maybe I can finally out drink Omega and get some respect."

"I don't think you'll be drinking for awhile, Orion." Ultra Magnus said cautiously.

Optimus seemed incredulous. "Oh yeah? And why is that?"

Ultra Magnus tapped on his face. Optimus appeared confused and walked over to a mirror to inspect himself.

"OH PRIMUS!" Optimus cried. "DAMN HIM! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" Optimus then tapped on his new face plates completely horrified.

Ultra Magnus couldn't help himself, he started to laugh.

"He just put that on at the last minute too!" Optimus inspected his face closer. "What the hell did you tell him?"

"Nothing! Ultra Magnus said innocently. "I just mentioned how you missed a great party last night, that's all."

Optimus got into Ultra Magnus' face. "AND?"

"And . . . .I might have mentioned your drinking habit."

"PRIMUS!" Optimus cried. "It's like a creepy chastity belt for the face! Thanks a lot Magnus!"

"Sorry."

"Just wait till Ariel sees this. What am I going to do?"

Ultra Magnus shifted his weight. "You COULD ask him to do something about that voice too. I mean, you sound like my dad when he's really pissed off."

Optimus broke into a run straight into Alpha Trion.

Optimus pointed to his face. "Can't you just take that off? Please, please, please?"

Alpha Trion was indignant. "Sorry Optimus, I'm afraid it's part of the design."

Alpha Trion and Optimus both heard Magnus laugh.

"Now what's so funny?" Optimus said.

"Nothing. OPTIMUS!" Ultra Magnus' laughter was a bit too giddy.

"What's so funny about that?" Optimus retorted.

"Oh, just the fact that my little buddy Orion is now this great big OPTIMUS who can't drink anymore! You _are_ a dork!"

Optimus turned away in annoyance. "Hey! It isn't that bad. At least my name doesn't sound like some detergent like yours does.

"DOES NOT!" Ultra Magnus said with a glare.

Optimus started at himself in the mirror again. "My life sucks."

"Don't be upset Optimus." Alpha Trion said encouragingly. "Here, I have something to give you." Alpha Trion reveals the Matrix of Leadership and hands it to Optimus.

"Pretty!" Optimus said innocently.

"Not pretty, idiot!" Alpha Trion spat. "That is the most sacred object in Cybertron."

"Oh, Okay," Optimus said a bit perplexed. "So, can I go drink now?"

Alpha Trion smacked Optimus on the side of the head. "NO YOU CANT!"

"Ow! Why not?" Optimus asked rubbing his sore head.

Alpha Trion sighed deeply. "You really have no clue as to what I've just handed you, do you?"

"You just said it was the most sacred object in Cybertron." Optimus said trying to soothe Alpha's trigger temper.

Alpha Trion was pleased with the answer. "That's right! Very good!"

"Great." Optimus said feeling better. "Now can I go drink now?"

Alpha Trion smacked Optimus over the head again. "NO YOU FOOL! This object will help you become a great leader and will guide you in wisdom in the great war against evil!"

"What war?"

Alpha Trion blew a fuse and smacked him again.

"OH! You mean _that_ war." Optimus said trying to prevent getting smacked again.

Alpha Trion glared at Optimus. He would given the Matrix to Ultra Magnus if he thought he was any brighter than Orion.

Optimus held the Matrix in his hand, then dashed outside the workshop with Ultra Magnus. "Well, bye Alpha. Thanks for the 'sacred object!' I'll see ya later." With that, both transformed and drove away leaving Alpha Trion to chase them outside.

"Wait Optimus!" Alpha Trion cried. "You must come back! I have more to tell you!" But it was too late; Optimus and Ultra Magnus were long gone.

Ultra Magnus and Optimus arrived back at Optimus' pad near the city Iaacon. Optimus clunked himself down on the couch and started to laugh. Ultra Magnus immediately headed to the refrigerator to grab whatever intoxicating substance he can find.

"Primus!" Ultra Magnus said as he rummaged through the fridge. "I thought we'd never get out of there!"

"I know, right?" Optimus retorted. "Can you believe that Jurassic Geezer? He just tried to turn me into some great leader." Optimus then started fumbling with the Matrix in his hands. "Say Mags? What do you think this thingy is anyway?"

Ultra Magnus abandoned the fridge and was now rummaging through the cupboards. "I don't know. Why don't ya try asking it where you hide all the booze?"

"Good idea!" Optimus said, then held the Matrix up to his face. "Hello? Is anybody in there? I'm talking to yooooooouuuuuu!" No response was made, so Optimus started to shake it. "Nothin's happening Mags."

Ultra Magnus slammed the cupboard doors. "Damn it Orion! Don't you have any high grade around here?"

"Hey watch it," Optimus said sarcastically. "The names _Optimus_ now, remember?"

"Oh, right. Damn you Optimus! Don't you have any high grade around here?"

"Guess I'm all tapped out," Optimus said with a slight shrug. "HEY! Now that I look _way_ more older, I can make booze runs without having to show my fake I.D!"

Ultra Magnus lit up. "Great idea! Let's jam!"

As they both ran for the door, Alpha Trion stood at the entrance looking extremely irritated.

"SIT DOWN THE BOTH OF YOU!" Both obey and sit on the couch.

"Hey Alpha," Optimus said nervously. "Um. ..nice stormy weather were having tonight, huh?"

Lightning flashed through the window.

"I am in no mood to discuss the weather, Optimus! I am here to talk to you about something far more important. I'm here to talk to you about The Matrix!"

Another lightning bolt flashed through the window.

"Oh, you mean this?" Optimus asked, picking it up off the coffee table. "Well, we both checked it out and it's completely useless."

Ultra Magnus butted in. "Yah, it can't even generate one lousy can of high grade!"

Alpha Trion smacked them both over the head.

"The Matrix isn't for party tricks, you fools! It's an instrument of prophesy and hope!"

Optimus couldn't resist. "Whose hope? I don't have any hope now that I can't drink anymore."

Alpha Trion couldn't believe his stinging audios. "Can't you stop thinking about getting intoxicated for even one minute?"

"I've tried that once, but no . . I can't." Ultra Magnus nodded his head in agreement.

"Let's get on with this!" Alpha Trion sit himself down in an armchair across from the couch. "I'm sure you've felt it Optimus, like a splinter in the back of your mind."

"Felt what?" Optimus asked.

"The Matrix you oversized piece of tin! What else would I be talking about?"

"Oh, sorry." Optimus replied, obviously confused. "I thought you referring to a hangover."

"Me too," quipped Ultra Magnus.

"PRIMUS!" Alpha Trion cried, then twirled a little metal box in his hand. "As I was saying, what if I told you that you were living in a dream world?"

"Hey, wait a minute," Optimus said suspiciously. "This is strangely starting to sound like a movie I once saw."

Alpha Trion just stared at him.

"Oh, alright! I'll play along," Optimus said exasperated. "Okay, what is the Matrix?"

Alpha Trion finally smiled. "I'm so glad you asked!"

Optimus and Ultra Magnus looked at each other in disbelief.

Alpha Trion straightened up in his chair. "The Matrix isn't something that I can explain. In order for you to understand, you will need to travel inside the Matrix to see it for yourself." He then opened the little metal box and poured the contents into his hand. "But first you must make a choice." Alpha Trion opened one hand. "You could take the blue pill, and everything will go back to the way it was. Or," he opened his other hand. "You could take the red pill, and find out how far this petro-rabbit hole goes."

It was clear Optimus didn't understand. "Hmm, both are pretty."

"OH JUST PICK A PILL WOULD YOU?" Alpha Trion screamed.

"Wait Alpha, I'm no warrior! I'm just an ordinary Bot!"

A bolt of lightning flashed.

Alpha Trion stood up and headed over to the window, looking out.

"No you're not! You just think you are because that's what you decided to be in your mind. But the Matrix contains an ancient prophesy that says that one day, an Autobot will rise from his rank and use the power of the Matrix to light our darkest hour. I have searched endlessly looking for the one who could posses it; who could use its wisdom to find an end to the war. A person who could use it as a tool to" Alpha Trion looked back at them.

Optimus and Ultra Magnus were both snoring on the couch.

"DID YOU JUST HEAR A WORD I SAID?"

They both jolt awake. "HUH?"

Alpha Trion jumped back into the armchair and bitch slapped them both. "IDIOTS!" Optimus and Ultra Magnus both rub their sore faces. .

Optimus shields his head, "I wish you would stop doing that!"

"Seriously!" Ultra Magnus quipped.

Alpha Trion glowered, "I'm only going to give you one last chance!"

"OH TO THE PITT ALREADY!" Ultra Magnus cried as he grabbed the blue pill. "Let's just get this over with!" He pops the pill in his mouth. "There! Happy?" Ultra Magnus then falls over unconscious.

"WAIT!" Optimus said panicking, "You just took the BLUE PILL! Why, that would only leave me with the RED PILL! SLAG YOU MAGNUS!"

Alpha Trion smiled wryly. "You are the chosen one, Optimus! Do what you were born to do!" He then hands Optimus the red pill.

"Um. Don't you have another blue pill hiding around somewhere?"

"NO!"

"Slag," Optimus said very feeling very disappointed. "But I'm not the chosen one, Alpha. Can't you find somebody else?"

Alpha Trion's head looks like it's about to explode with anger. Optimus realizes another whack on the head is coming.

"Fine!" Optimus said, grabbing the red pill. "I took it! Now what?"

"Now I'll install the Matrix into you."

"INSTALL? IT GETS INSTALLED? PRIMUS! I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THIS!"

Alpha installs the Matrix into Optimus. Suddenly he feels a sinking feeling come over him; his mind starts to spin and the room starts to fade out as a searing bright light engulfs him.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Optimus jolts up from his re-charger bed and looks around the room. His quarters look familiar to him. Nothing seems to be out of place. He touches his chest and lets out a sigh of relief. It was just that slagging dream again. He rubs his head and tries to shake off the spinning sensation that followed him into consciousness.

He walked into the control room and pushed a few buttons to get the latest reports from Teletran-One. Slumping into a chair, he puts his head in his hands, trying to forget what happened to him all those many cycles ago.

He really hates that dream. How embarrassing!

-End

5


End file.
